Rail crossing



May 12, 1931. c. USCHMANN 90 RAIL cnossme Filed April 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIIE II INVENTOR Cur) Usa/vmann A TTORNE YS May 12, 1931.

c. USCHMANN RAIL CROSSING Filed A rii 5. 1929 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY Qurf U5C/7/770 7/7 MiG/9M v5 mam Patented May 12, 1931,

ING QQBBQMTIONJQF RENO, NEVADA, 'COiRPORAEI'ONL 0F RAIL cnossnve {invention relates to crossings at the intersection of two-or morev railroad tracks and is particularly related to the type of crossing disclosedin Patent Number 1,169,- 196, to Luther Secller-etel. entitled -Rai 1roa;d crossings. As-therein clis'close'cL-e turntable is= di pesedet the intersection of at pair 'of rails to" provide selectively, -apassage along the rails :toone; of the intersecting traek's;

I "Itisfla-n obj ect-of my i-n-vention to provide a simple and rugged mea'ns for opersiting the usualturntable;

' "Another -ob'ject-of my invention is -to=-provicle a simple and; ruggeclmeans 'for positively locking the turntable in any one 4 of the positions for --a1i nment. g

' Another object of my invention is to provicle' --a--rail intersection of'such a character that" the pessageof other vehicles and; of peclestriansis facilitated. g 7 i I A' further obj ectofmy invention is to provi-de a form of'operating mechanism totally enclosed Within a housing to'protect it tampering or damage.

further-object of my invention isto provide a-rail crossingclevice WhlCh it not liable to-be clogged -ineclvertently; I

fM-y inventionpossesses other eclvanta geou's features-some of Whichwv ith'the fore going W'ill be setforth at 1eng'th---in the=-fo1+ loivi'n'g" description Wheref-I shall outline in 1 111 the: form of the railroad crossing of; my invention, WhichPI' heVe selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming'par't of thepresent specification. In'sei'dmlra-Wings' I have shownone form of railroad crossing embodied in my invention, but it is to, Joe-understood thatTdonotlimit myself to said form, for the'in'vention, as set forth inthe claims, "may 'be embodied in a' plu'rality of 'forms.

"In said-drawings:

Figure 1 is, a planvievvofthe'crossing-of myi invention with the cover; plates removed t'o'show the actuating mechanism, and with wpor'tion of the device cut 'away to show the tiirn-t'zible actuator. t g

{Figure 2' is a section of the iievice shown in-"Figure 1 c 'zilong' the broken section" line 2'-"2 of Figure 1 with the cover p1ate.-. in

' Fignte 1' is at sectionithru d from 7 place; Figure 3 illustratesanother iernh Hi removed and sections of the'flevice-cut to shoivthe t urntehle a wetbr an ine'ztns for-looting; the'itnrntables ;pOS lfion-. i Wi "9 my inventionyshovv n Figure 3" non-gene broken setti'on" "line" with t-hfe-"IiOKfe"? Pi t in .p ae 'i IRail crossings of echarectergs'iini r-ftb -i w my" ven jhai u ally d n i. for their operation I upong'a "complicated Ylstem 'oflevers' or'oflevr's', geQrS'farrd rLks. These have been ;plaeedffint1;e ;.-me flied lrlong the rails and soiereexp'ose'dto various undesirableihazztrds amongwvhich efijethfe -fol lowingztem'perin which, eveniflit is net;

malicious, is dangerous; to 'dama e'from} any one a yrposs bl j ce t i'ec'tien of the weather which is liable to render them inoperable; land I to clogging j hy the ballast of'the road'fb'ed',

Furthermore it is extremely difiicultto construct a smooth crossing over the usual rail'intersection for pedestrians or tor other vehicles. ThisIihave likewise provided 'for. iTheilocking devices, for maintaining-the crossings in some one perticular position, have likewise-been more or'iless comlilicatecl and, at the same time, they have been exposed; to the same hazardsyasthe crossing mechanism. It'is 'thef'bro'ad object-of the reil crossing of .my inven'tion't'to materially m tlga'te or "overcome these hazerds and 0bections.

In the form of my invention disclosed in the drawings, particularly in Fi'g'u'resfl1 and 2,1 provide a structure 6 which may be suitably disposed at the intersection of a pair, of rails? andS; At the intersection of each of'the rails I provides; cesing 11 Which I preferably, form, integrally ,vv-ith the intersecting rails although; it ma -be {separete" therefrom. *Each of the casings-11 is preferably cylindrical. in interior contour to receive it turntable--12 which is adapted to retatewithin 'the casing 11. Each turnteible12 hes-a, cliemetral-groove 13 across the upper face lithe'reof; The 3 turntable is adapted for rotation -;s vvith in the casing from alignment with one rail to alignment with the other rail and the groove is suitably dimensioned to allow the ready passage of a wheel flange along the rail with which it is aligned.

Means, are provided for suitably rotating the turntables 12. Each turntable is usually provided with the non-circular extension 16 on which a lever arm 17 is suitably retained as by means of the lock nut 18. To the free end of the lever arm 17 one end of a turnbuckle 21 is attached by means of a bolt 22. The other end of the turnbuckle 21 is preferably formed integrally with an arm 23. Suitable means for locking the turnbuckle in position, when the length of the arm 23.is correctly adjusted, are provided in the lock nuts 25 y The I attached to the peripheral portion of a centrally disposed stellated body 24- by means of the bolts 26. The points of attachment .of the several'arms are preferably spaced about degrees apart around the circum- ,ference of the body. The body 24 is suitably adapted forv rotation; and is conveniently provided with a circular extension 27. A

plate 28 is usually provided, within and upon whichjthebody may be rotated. To accomplish the rotation of the body a portion of the extension 27 is conveniently made non-circular and a lever arm 31 is retained thereon by means of a lock nut82. The lever arm 31 is attached to any suitable operating means but I. preferably use a solenoid 33 to accomplish the actuation in combination with other electrical means.

Itis thus seen that with the "rooves 13 of the turntable in alignment with the rails 8, as in Figure 1, rotation of the actuator 24: thru an angle of 90 degrees in a counter clockwise direction by energizing of the solenoid will align the grooves with the other pair of rails 7. correspondingly, a rotation of 90 degrees in a clockwise direc tion, when the groovesare in alignment with the rails7, will bring the grooves into agreement with the rails 8.

, To accomplish further objects of my invention I have preferably provided means for totally enclosing the whole of the operating mechanism. Thus a central body 36 which is adapted to contain the several levers, and centrally disposed stellated actuator2 l is provided beneath the intersecting rails. A base 37 is disposed below the body 36 and is suitably adapted to the type of mechanism actuating the crossing. The bodies 36 and 87 are suitably attached to the intersecting rails, by means of stud bolts 38, to provide a functionally integral structure. The base body is suitably formed to retain its position on a foundation and, for

this reason,"among others, the webs 39 are provided: The upper portion of the base several arms 23 are preferably body 37 is preferably provided with the inwardly extending flanges 10 upon which the plate 28 is conveniently positioned by the shoulder 42.

To provide against any of the possible hazards attendant upon these crossings, which I have previously mentioned, I provide suitable cover plates 43 and 44: which are adapted to be disposed over the mechanism of the device and retained in position on the several shoulders 46 and 47 respectively formed upon the several intersecting rails. Either one or both of these covers may be retained in place by some suitable locking means. The structure, when assembled as a whole, is substantially proof against the entrance of any foreign matter. 7 U

Preferably,-to insure that all the turntables 12'are maintained in either of the extreme alignment positions, I provide means for locking them in either of these positions. In Figures 3 and l I have shown a convenient way of accomplishing this in combination with the device of my invention previously described in particular in Figures 1 and 2. I provide, as means for expediently accomplishing this object, among others, the stellated actuator body 61 which conveniently has a circular extension 62.

This extension is usually adapted to be independently revolved in the turntable actuator'body 24 which is likewise usually fitted to receive this extension and permit its rotation therein. The lower portion of the extension 62 is preferably made non-circular and a lever 63 retained thereon by means of a lock nut 64. Any form of operating means may be attached to the lever 68 but I preferentially employ a solenoid 66 for controlling and operating the actuator body 61.

Several outwardly extending arms 71 are conveniently attached to the central actuator 61 by means of studs 72 which retain them in the several supporting recesses 73. Each arm is adaptedto be received in suitable recesses 76 and 77 provided in the turntable 12 to agree with its extreme alignment positions. A passage 78 is provided in the casing 11 to guide correctly the passage of tzle arm 71 into either of the recesses 76 and The lengths of the several arms 71 are expediently varied by means. of the turn buckles 79. The lock nuts 80 and 81 serve to ensure the preservation of any desired length of the arms 71 by locking the turn buckle in position.

WVith the turntables locked in position as in Figure 3 it is readily seenthat actuation of the solenoid 66 to turn the actuator 61 in a counter clockwise direction will release the locking arms from engagement with the turntables leaving them free'to rotate. Energizing of the solenoid33 to rotate the actu- LuJ ator 24 thru 90 degrees in a clockwise direction will position the turntables in alignment with the rails 8. The solenoid 61 is then energized in a reverse direction and the turntables locked in alignment with the rails 8.

I claim:

1. A railroad crossing 'comprising intersecting rails, a casing at the intersection of said rails, a turntable in said casing adapted to rotate therein between two extreme positions, said turntable having a groove adapted to be aligned in extreme position with either of said rails, an actuator cen-V 7 means for locking said crossing forming means, means disposed within said central space for selectively operating said locking vmeans, and a housing enclosing both of said operating means.

3. A railroad crossmgcomprismg intersecting rails enclosing a central space, a plurality of casings, one of sand casmgs being disposed at each of the intersections of said rails, a plurality of turntables, one in each of said casings and adapted to rotate therein for forming a continuous rail crossing of each corresponding pair of rails, and a support for said crossing secured to said casings; said support including a body having a chamber therein communicating with] said central space, and an actuator disposed in said chamber for selectively operating said turntables between two extreme positions.

4. A railroad crossing comprising intersecting rails enclosing a central space, a plurality of casings, one of said casings be ing disposed at each of the intersections of said rails, a plurality of turntables, one in each of said casings and adapted to rotate therein for forming a continuous rail crossing of each corresponding pair of rails,'and

a support for said crossings secured to said casing; said support including a body having a chamber therein communicating with said central space, an actuator disposed in said chamber for selectively operating said turntables between two extreme positions, a second. actuator mounted upon said first named actuator, and means attached to said second actuator for locking said turntables in either of thelr extreme positions.

5. In combination with a railroad crossing including intersecting rails and means for selectively formmg a continuous ra1l crossing of one corresponding pairof rails,

a support for said crossing comprising a central body and a base body below said intersecting rails and secured-thereto; each of said bodies having a central chamber in communication with one another and in which said means are disposed, and inwardly extending'flanges on said base body for supporting said means in said chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. 7 CURT US OHMANN. 

